Photo: One of the President's aids carries a shoe thrown by rowdy youth.
The unfortunate Uhuru's chaotic rally in Migori has made headlines in most if not all Kenyan newsrooms. I watched over the telly as a rowdy crowd fearlessly shot shoes and other projectiles at the presidential dias. With such incredible accuracy that I believe they must have previously rehearsed the show. Wow! Bull's eye.
I suggest that Riverwood places the scene into a movie. Probably call the movie Bullet Shoes, or Presidential Crossfire or something creative. It would be thrilling and will undoubtedly sell beyond Kenya. Of course not forgetting a DJ Afro narrative version probably in English.
Come Tuesday, TNA grandstanders led by MP Duale came out to ruin the fun by injecting unnecessary political rhetoric into our nice little show. The guys demanded a personal apology from Raila over the matter! Can you imagine that? Of all the things they can demand, like CDF perks and ridiculous allowances?
They claimed, that those who heckled Uhuru were Raila's supporters. I now understand why a section of Kenyans believe that Ugandans should have stolen Duale instead of Uhuru's car.
I don't quite agree with Duale. If anyone should be apologizing, then it is those who have perpetuated tribal divisions and tribalism in the country. Those whose actions have led to the current state of affairs in which the president is no longer a symbol of nationality and unity, but an element of protracted division. Kenyans are owed an apology by leaders and politicians who have failed to entrench the values of nationalism and equity. And that includes the president. The lack of those values is the primary driver underneath political mayhem.
Done with expected apologies. So why really was the rally thrown into chaos? Were the attendees actually heckling Uhuru, that is, from the offset?
Credible reports, and a little gossip, indicate that the disarray was most likely targeted at the Migori Governor for what cunning politicians may claim is resentment by the residents. However, the chaos seem to have been planned well in advance by the governor's rivals for political ends and scores. In which case, those supersonic speeding shoes were not aimed at Uhuru, of course there may have been stray bullets or some misfiring brigadiers and commandos. Also there may have been confused elements who may have used the opportunity to drag in unnecessary Cord hullabaloo for ends best understood by them.
The idea I'm trying to bring out is that the chaos were most probably not about Uhuru, or Raila for that matter, but was rather likely a result of crappy Migori politics and superiority battles. The president was merely caught in the crossfire. Either way, Raila must know very little to nothing to do with flying shoes. Much as Duale and his henchmen may want us to believe, Raila owes no one nothing. Not even an apology.
When chaos erupt, it is usually a free for all thus it is not imaginable that any single person remained calm, composed and content. Those who took part in the throwing competition may have included Uhuru's fanatics and perhaps bodyguards deflecting misdirected projectiles. Aha! The president should have joined in too! Grab a shoe and throw it so hard at the crowd that it breaks a skull. This may have been a wonderful opportunity to discover hidden talent in throwing a javelin. Not to forget what a hilarious treat it could have been. A much needed diversion from the boring routine evening TV news.
The Truth Justice and Reconciliation Commission recommended that Uhuru apologizes over past injustices and government crimes. He never apologized till this day. So why would Duale expect Raila to apologize over flying shoes, which he perhaps only heard of in the evening news?
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